I should hate this record.  This record is encapsulates almost everything I don't like in a CD- mish mash of styles, lots of songs sounding like other bands, unclear musical identity of the band I'm listening to.  But god damn if the second Prosthetic Records release from Lawrence, Kansans The Esoteric, Subverter, isn't a damn catchy record.  I apparently can't stand this record so much that I can't get it out of my car  CD player or my mp3 player.  The Esoteric are clearly a band that cannot be pigeon-holed into an  all-encompassing musical niche.  They are too mature for emo/screamo (plus it looks like they are old enough to shave) yet too screamo to be metalcore.  They're not technical enough to be math- or spazz-core but too proficient to be just be lumped into something like hardcore.  All of these quandaries come through loud and clear as you listen to Subverter.  Opener "Destroy, She Said" sounds like it comes from a screamier version of Seemless with its heavy, groovy fuzzed out guitar riffs. "Shipyards of Foreign Cities" will make you think of "Jupiter" era Cave-In.  It's a heavy, yet expansive song with noodly riffs floating along underneath it. "We Will Not Be Convinced" will remind the listener of a collision between Boston hardcore legends Tree and Dillinger Escape Plan, part East Coast Hardcore and part spazz.  "Don't Waste Guts" will have you convinced that Jeremy Enigk took truckloads of steroids and then wrote the heaviest song Sunny Day Real Estate could ever write. 

But something happens when you get to corkers like "Our Exquisite Corpse" and "You Are the Execution", songs that you can't attribute to other influences.  You start to understand what The Esoteric are all about.  You start to see that it's all about heaviness in all its beautful forms.  It's all about the raspy screams of Steve Cruz spitting piss and vinegar all over the place.  It's all about The Esoteric laying a path of destruction whereever they go.  It's all about The Esoteric showing that there are many different ways to destroy; one niche does not fit all needs. 

I should really hate this record.  I tried to hate this record after each and every listen.  It's too bad that it's so damn addicting.  Subverter is clearly the musical equivalent of crack.  This is one of those times when you should allow peer pressure to lead you to addiction.